Larne: Irish Premiership champions to play HJK Helsinki in Champions League qualifier

Larne boss Tiernan Lynch says his side must "enjoy the experience" as they were drawn against HJK Helsinki in the Champions League first qualifying round next month.

Larne will be away in the first leg against the Finnish champions, with the return leg at the Northern Irish club's nominated home venue of Solitude.

The Irish Premiership champions are making their debut in the competition.

As a result, Lynch has urged his side to savour the momentous occasion.

"We need to enjoy the experience. There is a lot of work to be done, we don't know a huge amount about Helsinki, but to hear Champions League music and be part of it is going to be a bit surreal," he said.

Larne will be unable to use Inver Park as the synthetic pitch failed to meet the required Fifa criteria.

Whilst disappointed that the venue in East Antrim will be unable to host the return leg, Lynch insists his side will not be hampered by playing at the home of fellow Irish Premiership side Cliftonville.

"You can play the card you are dealt or cry about it and make all kinds of excuses. We are in a very privileged position, I would play on a park pitch to be honest!" he joked.

HJK Helsinki clinched their third successive Finnish title last October which was the 32nd time that they have won their domestic league.

The first leg will be played in Finland on 11/12 July with the second leg scheduled for the 18/19 July.

Club captain Tomas Cosgrove concedes that the Inver side are in for a tough test, but hopes his team can rise to it and add another chapter to their fairy-tale story.

"It is going to be a tough game but you never know what could happen in football," said the right-back.

"We have seen what Linfield have done, even us against Aarhus in Denmark last year. No one expected us to go through and we somehow did it, so hopefully we can do it again and make more history."

Elsewhere in the draw, League of Ireland champions Shamrock Rovers will take on the winners of the preliminary round which features Andorran club Atlètic Club d'Escaldes, Budućnost Podgorica of Montenegro, San Marino side Tre Penne plus Breidablik of Iceland.

In the Europa Conference League, Irish Premiership runners-up Linfield will be at home in the first leg against KF Vllaznia from Albania.

This will be the second time the Blues have faced Albanian opposition in Europe after playing Nentori 17 in the 1980s.

Irish Cup winners Crusaders, like Larne, will face a Finnish side in their first qualifying round games.

They will be away in the first leg to FC Haka Valkeakoski.

European play-off winners Glentoran are also away in the first leg to Gzira United of Malta.

FAI Cup winners Derry City are up against HB Torshavn from the Faroe Islands, whilst fellow League of Ireland side St Patrick's Athletic will face F91 Diddeleng from Luxembourg.

Dundalk will take on FCB Magpies of Gibraltar, who Crusaders beat 4-3 on aggregate in last year's first qualifying round.

The first leg ties are set to be played 13 July with the return legs scheduled to take place on 20 July.